A diet plan for fatty liver should be holistic which not only improves the health of the liver but also improves the overall health of the human body. Everything you eat, good or bad, finds its way through the liver before being distributed to other areas of the body. Performing over 200 functions, the liver is a vital organ, and a healthy liver usually corresponds to a healthy body.
Fatty liver disease (FLD) results when triglyceride fat exceeds 5–10% of the liver by weight. Fat gets deposited in and around the liver cells (hepatocytes) causing the liver to become bigger and heavier. When this occurs, some patients complain of abdominal pain and discomfort and a “stuffed” feeling in their lower torso area on the right side of the body.
For the most part, fatty liver in its early stages (simple steatosis) is an asymptomatic condition. Many patients are not aware that they have the condition until it worsens. When this occurs, symptoms may include weakness and fatigue, nausea, anorexia, confusion, abdominal pain, and jaundice. If it is not treated through diet and exercise, FLD can turn into cirrhosis or liver cancer and can be fatal.
There is no cure for fatty liver. However, this does not mean that the condition cannot be treated, slowed or even reversed. Although alternative treatment methods such as vitamins C and E, Epsom salts, milk thistle, and a variety of different medications exist and are gaining popularity in some medical circles, proper diet and exercise are still the best ways to combat FLD. Is.
The best diets for fatty liver patients follow a few key principles. Here’s a quick breakdown that may help you if you have alcoholic or nonalcoholic FLD.
- Focus on foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice and whole grains.
- Reduce your intake of refined and simple carbohydrates found in sugar, white bread, egg noodles, cakes and many desserts.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. A quick tip: Raw vegetable juices can be extremely healthy for the liver.
- Stay away from deep fried, fatty and processed foods, especially processed meats like sausage and hot dogs.
- Minimize and limit the consumption of dairy products. When consuming dairy, focus on organic yogurt and ricotta and/or cheese. You can also substitute soy and rice milk instead of whole or 2% milk.
- Excessive consumption of margarine, fatty condiments such as salad dressings, sugary fruit juices, energy drinks and alcohol should be avoided.
- Instead of beef or pork, focus on lean white meats like chicken or turkey. Free range meats are best because they do not contain harmful steroids, growth hormones and other antibiotics.
- Drink plenty of water (at least 2 liters per day).
Source by D. J. Atterson
